Pretty Butterflies

I have to admit ... this one is not an original idea of mine :-( but I wish it was! The layout was so pretty I just had to make one of my own with similar colours, because the soft blue, green and purple combination was too lovely to resist.

You can see the original here - I liked the white on white look but ended up going with Bashful Blue as a base colour instead.

I am so glad I finally got around to buying this stamp set for myself - it's just so pretty and swirly *g*. I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this one!

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: Priceless
Ink: Sage Shadow, Bashful Blue, Perfect Plum
Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Perfect Plum, Whisper White
Other: So Swirly Stampin' Around Wheel, Stampin' Around Jumbo Handle, Whisper White 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

CASEing the Catalogue

Sometimes you want to make a card but the effort of thinking of a design and/or colours for yourself can be so tedious *yawn* ... that's when the samples in the Stampin' Up! Ideas Book & Catalogue (and the current Spring Mini Catalogue) come in so handy *g*.

Take this, for instance ...

The layout and colours are from the sample on page 4 of the Spring Mini catalogue. It was quick, easy and effective and took very little time to do, because I didn't have to think about it too hard.

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: Always
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Whisper White
Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White
Other: Pretty in Pink 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamp A Ma Jig

Then I tried again, this time using the featured stamp set as in the original sample, but mixing up the colours somewhat ... I'm not so sure that this one worked, but I wanted to try green/purple together.

The little row of flowers from this stamp set placed under the main image just seemed to tie the card together and finish it off. I liked that bit.

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: One of a Kind
Ink: Perfect Plum, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Perfect Plum Old Olive, Whisper White
Other: Certainly Celery 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Boho Blossoms Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stampin' Sponge, Stamp A Ma Jig

The samples in the catalogues are there to provide inspiration for you, so why not use them? You can even check out pages 155-159 of the main catalogue to see exactly what supplies have been used to create each of the beautiful projects throughout the book.

Baroque in Blue

I am still loving this stamp set ... this time in blues and brown. The layout is a snap to do, so very quick to put together (well, okay, aside from the cutting, but you could speed that up as well if you were really in a hurry) and yet so effective.

The "medallion" part uses three separate stamps all cut out and layered (the bottom layer is on a dimensional to pop it up a bit). I put a tiny piece of Creamy Caramel cardstock under the whole thing so you can see it through the centre of the eyelet (otherwise it just would have been boring old white, and who wants to see that?).

If you were after a quicker card it would be easy to just stamp the floral emblem and cut that out, then stick it on - I would still use a dimensional - the extra height "finishes" the look, I find.

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: Baroque Motifs
Ink: Creamy Caramel, Soft Sky, Blue Bayou
Cardstock: Creamy Caramel, Soft Sky, Whisper White
Other: Cropadile, eyelets, Stampin' Dimensionals

Waterfall card

I learnt how to make these a few years back, then promptly forgot how to ... my very first effort is still kicking about somewhere, I think. Anyway, I thought it was time to make another one, as they're fun to play with *g*.

You pull the tab at the bottom and the pictures flip over. Rather than using pictures as shown here, you could use words in to reveal a message as the tab is pulled. A message can also be stamped/written on the tab itself.

How fortunate for me that this set (Priceless) comes with four images just the right size for this kind of treatment *g*. And (warning: shameless plug ahead) if you buy Priceless this month you can get the matching So Swirly wheel absolutely free! Contact me today!

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: Priceless
Ink: Rose Red, So Saffron
Cardstock: Mellow Moss, So Saffron, Rose Red, Whisper White
Other: So Swirly Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel, Jumbo Handle, Cropadile, eyelets

Carte Postale in Blue

Just a quick card ... this one is fast, easy and could easily suit the man in your life - perhaps subsitute the floral emblems with another stamp and voila!

I can't take the credit for the design, however I can't for the life of me remember where I saw the card that insired this one, or who made it. Whoever you are, thank you!

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: Carte Postale
Ink: Basic Black
Cardstock: Bordering Blue, Basic Black
Other: Small Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch

Catching up

With one thing and another, I've not really found time for stamping or writing this week ... just stuff getting in the way, but that's how it is I guess *shrug*.

To make up for the lack of posts lately, here are pictures of the cards we made at a workshop I ran over the weekend (waves to Melita and her friends - thanks for a fun afternoon!).

Firstly a Christmas card ... well, after all it's only 3 and a bit months away, so now is the best time to start! I forgot to include a brad in the workshop sample (oops, sorry guys) but otherwise it's as seen here.

We used my favourite Purely Pomegranate and another of SU's 2007/08 In Colors, Wild Wasabi. The green of Wild Wasabi is a little more vibrant than seen here, and between this and the Pomegranate, they take the traditional red/green Christmas colour combination and give it a bit of oomph *g*!

Do the sponged edges of the green layer show up? We did that to give the card a little more depth.

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: Season of Joy
Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi
Cardstock: Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White
Other: So Swirly Stampin' Around Jumbo Wheel & Handle, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stampin' Sponges

The other card we made was similar to the one posted here, except that I didn't have the butterfly from Priceless (because I didn't get the stamp set for my very own until today - at last, I finally got around to buying it for myself!), so we used the side-on butterfly from Garden Whimsy instead.

I also substituted the Regal Rose cardstock and ink for Cameo Coral (not enough of the original colour cardstock on hand - also now rectified with the order I received today *g*). The colours are similar enough to be interchangable here, but when you have them side by side they are very different (if that makes sense ...?). Perhaps you need to see them to compare.

This card is quick and easy but also has a Wow factor to it. Well, that's what I think, anyway *g*.

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: Baroque Motifs, Garden Whimsy, Warm Words
Ink: Cameo Coral, Old Olive
Cardstock: Cameo Coral, Old Olive, Whisper White
Other: Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker

River Rock

I'm rediscovering this great colour ... by itself it doesn't look like much but once you pair it with different colours it really grows on you!

First up is a card using one of the stamp set/wheel combinations you could buy with this month's promotion - the set is Priceless and the wheel is called So Swirly. Buy Priceless and get So Swirly for free, but only for September! Contact me today! (sorry, just had to get a plug in there *g*).

I loooove this set and this wheel.

I've combined River Rock with Purely Pomegranate just because I love these two together. Sorry the pic is a little dark, I was in a hurry.

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: Priceless
Ink: Purely Pomegranate, River Rock
Cardstock: River Rock, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White
Other: So Swirly Stampin' Around Jumbo Wheel & Handle, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

The second card was mostly made to see what River Rock looked like with Perfect Plum and Pale Plum - I think it works. I wish you could see this card in person - it is a spinner card and so much fun to play with! You hold the card almost upright then tilt it from side to side and watch the circular element spin down the slot and back again.

Once you get the hang of making spinner cards, they take about 10 minutes to put together, then you get an hour of fun playing with them LOL.

Just a quick note ... if you are going to make one of these, I would suggest using a Word Window punch rather than cutting the slot yourself as shown in the instructions in the link. Much quicker and less frustration for all concerned. Simply push the punch in as far as it will go, punch once about an inch in from one side, then slide along and punch again. Also, use two Dimensionals on top of each other to lift the main layer away from the backing, in order to give the spinner plenty of room at the back to do its thing.

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: Always
Ink: Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, River Rock
Cardstock: River Rock, Perfect Plum, Whisper White
Other: Word Window Punch, Scallop Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, Paper Piercing tool

A rare event

As you may have noticed, there is a distinct lack of scrapbook pages on my blog. This is because I have been a cardmaker since ... well, it seems like forever, but it's certainly been a very long time, and until recently photos were something that got shoved into slip in pockets (if they ever left the chemist's envelope) and looked at every so often, usually by the kids.

Now I am trying to move out of my comfort zone occasionally and to this end I have created a very simple 6x6 page (with no journalling - I haven't got my head around that yet!) using a glamour photo of my mother from before she was married.

Love this colour combination ...! As always, you really have to see it in the flesh so to speak to appreciate just how pretty they are together.

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp sets: Always
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Purely Pomegranate, River Rock
Cardstock: River Rock, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White

Free Wheelin' with Stampin' Up!

Welcome to September!

Have you used the Stampin' Up! Stampin' Around Wheels yet? This month, when you purchase a preselected stamp set, you can get the matching Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel absolutely free!

The sets are:

-Merry Merry Bundle: (Merry Merry stamp set AND Christmas jumbo wheel) $45.95
-Artfully Asian Bundle: (Artfully Asian stamp set AND Watercolor Vine jumbo wheel) $45.95
-Nursery Necessities Bundle: (Nursery Necessities stamp set AND Nursery Letters jumbo wheel) $56.95
-Bodacious Bouquet Bundle: (Bodacious Bouquet stamp set AND Bodacious jumbo wheel) $58.95
-Carte Postale Bundle: (Carte Postale stamp set AND Leaves a la Carte jumbo wheel) $48.95
-Priceless Bundle: (Priceless stamp set AND So Swirly jumbo wheel) $48.95

You can have a closer look at the flyer for this promotion by clicking on the picture to the left.

Email me if you would like more details or to take advantage of this great offer!

Images © 2008 Stampin' Up!®